Bad Copy

Bad Religion performing at The Stone Pony, Asbury Park, NJ. August 13th, 2025

Before a show, I always get in the zone to listen to the artists that I’m about to photograph. To dive into the void that they made with countless songs within their catalog. It keeps me focused on angles that I’d like to capture in studying their movements that I prepped for months ago. This evening brought a lot of firsts, the main one being that beyond my control the weather came with a fury to Asbury Park.

This show review was supposed to be about how the Dropkick Murphys‘ new album added to the voice of many in the nation feeling discontent with the national government. The rallying cry to bring all of us that are disgruntled together; fists raised in the air, lyrics bursting out loud while hanging on to fellow strangers that we now see as bonds, and to give a middle finger to all that is happening in the nation of 2025.  This was that moment in the tail end of summer. Then the storm came.

First, it was announced via social media that the concert would be pushed up an hour. Me being at the Empress Hotel, a great establishment that’s a hop-skip away from the venue, quickly jolted out of my “getting in the zone” mode and quickly hopped into “I gotta get there, now!” mode. It was jolting, to say the least. Hoping that I’d be able to beat the rain at any cost (disgustingly optimistic), but unfortunately that was wishful thinking.

Everything was a bit of a panic, not only on my end, but on the end of the everyone involved bringing this show sold out show into fruition. My credentials didn’t go through because of the sudden hour change, I had to wait in line of the sold out crowd while Bad Religion started their set, the rain came down, credentials came through, and then I quickly started shooting. Then… the lightning came. If any of you lovely people have been to The Stone Pony Summer Stage, you’d know that rain is okay, but lighting means everything stops (understandably so). All I can do was smile with the other photographers that were there in disbelief that this was happening. Bad Religion’s set didn’t get to an hour, maybe just 20 to 30 minutes of songs. Then the postponement of the Dropkick… yep… this night was one of those nights where the shoes were dropping all over the place.

My lenses and camera body were all wet, I went back to my room and laid everything out for them all to dry. Crossing my fingers that all my gear would be intact by later that night or the next morning. Three and a half hours later, it was announced that Dropkick would be coming on. I turned to my partner, and it pained me to say it but I admitted that I was unable to go out there and cover them. The rain was still coming down quite hard, and I didn’t have the equipment I needed to keep my lenses/camera bodies safe. It’s hard pill to swallow, especially since I now live outside of the U.S. in Japan.

My partner and I  listened and watched Dropkick’s set while our children slept; they can sleep through anything. All I could do was turn to her and smile and say what an adventure. Their set was fast-paced, but Ken made the best with what he could with time they had. It was fitting to see that they kept going, regardless of the weather. It represented all that 2025 has been, so far. Standing up to the storm that is everything that’s trying to stop you. The show must go on, the fight must go on, and to put on a show to the people that stayed was the focus that brought people together under the rain drops. It was a beautiful sight.

The knowledge I took away from this unfortunate, colorful adventure is to invest in a rain cover for my lenses/camera body to cover my bases, have a plan ‘D’, and to be grateful that in a roundabout way it all worked out. Also, I’m very happy to report that my lenses and camera bodies are still golden.

To the boys of Dropkick Murphys –

Thank you for everything. Hope our paths cross next time, and hopefully the weather will hold up.